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Kathi Burns  0:04  
Hi there, I'm board certified professional organizer Kathy Burns. I'm really glad you're here. This podcast is designed for busy entrepreneurs just like you who want to take better control of your business and move forward with less stress and more success. If this is your first time listening then thanks for coming. The organized synergize podcast is produced for your enjoyment, and show notes are found at V podcasts that organized and energized.com come back often and feel free to add this podcast to your favorite RSS feed or iTunes. You can also follow me on Twitter at organizing energy and Facebook. All links are in the show notes. Now let's get into the show. Hi, everyone, this is Cathy and I'm back. I am with Julie Corracio. Oh, she's an award winning professional life and in the life organizer and certified life coach. She's passionate about helping people declutter and supporting people in clearing their stuff in all areas of your life, getting organized and becoming more mindful. She hosts a popular self help podcast, Clear Your Clutter inside and out. And she's also the author of 14 books, including got clutter 365 Journal prompts series, she's happily married to Tony, and she's at the beck and call of four rescue cats. She is my girl. I have two cats myself. This will be an insightful interview with my colleague Julie. So let's get started. Hi, Julie. Thanks for being here.

Julie Corracio  1:32  
Hey, Kathy. I'm thrilled to be here.

Kathi Burns  1:34  
Is is a good day today. You're a certified life coach and professional organizer. Can I ask what did you do prior to that?

Julie Corracio  1:44  
Prior to that, starting my business, I was in fund development. I was the director of development. So in the nonprofit world writing grants mainly and saying, Hey, give us money.

Kathi Burns  1:54  
Okay, cool. Why did you decide to become a life coach, professional organizer, girl?

Julie Corracio  2:00  
I had just moved from Los Angeles to Raleigh, North Carolina. It was a very intuitive move. I woke up one morning and herd moved to Raleigh. So I've learned to always follow my intuition. So I had gotten a job probably the worst job I've ever had in my professional life. And I knew right away, this is crazy town. So I said, I just don't want to jump to another job. So what can I do that will help people and make a difference in their lives? So I got it paid also. And then I'd enjoy doing. And so I thought about it thought about and I was like, I've been organizing and helping people to declutter. I just never knew it was a job. And so that's how it started.

Kathi Burns  2:36  
Yeah, yeah. I think a lot of us have a similar path where we're like, is that really a job? Oh, yeah, I guess people actually do that for a living. Wow, that's pretty cool.

Julie Corracio  2:46  
When I first started,  do know what score is? For people listening if they don't know, score helps. They're retired entrepreneurs, who whatever their specialty is help people. So when I first went to them for help, they're like, you want to do What? What? Really? You can people do that? And I was like, yeah, there's a whole, it's naipo. It's people do it. And they were shocked, because a lot of the old school people never heard of it.

Kathi Burns  3:12  
Yeah, that's the thing about score, I love score. I mean, I think they're a great resource, but a lot of them are older and, you know, for for new things, maybe not so much. But they still you know, business is back to the basics. And they still really help you build a really good infrastructure. So if any of you out there are looking to switch careers, or, you know, explore what you might want to do, why I always say when you grow up with your real career, or the career that has purpose, you know, check out score and SBA and SBDCs great resources. So yay. That's good. So, um, let's, let's talk a little bit about what you do. And I know you do, I'm very intrigued about the end of life. decluttering and end of life help, when I help clients declutter, after transition after someone in their life, very important is transition. It's really precious work to me. So talk to me about how that process works and how you help clients with into life clearing.

Julie Corracio  4:11  
Sure, so I got started, because about three years ago, my dad had a meeting with me and my brother saying, Here's what I want to do, at end of life. And it kind of shocked me I was was upset, but my mom passed recently. So it was a lot of stuff had been done, not everything. And I knew in that moment, as upset as I was, is it brings peace of mind. Because when someone dies or is in the process of dying, you want to focus your attention solely on that. And so I consider it a gift to support people and doing that prior, you know, you never know when your number's called. So I think the earlier you do that, the better especially if there are things you know, that are important to you, whether it's passing on your legacy, that's something maybe that we can write up that's important. Maybe you want to start a foundation. Maybe you want to start a scholarship in your name so I really look at it holistically. Strickley, so, of course, there's a physical stuff. And I'm not an attorney, I don't play one on TV. But I have to tell you, if I had, if you help, as you know, you get to help people organize and into clutter, then they can go to the attorney and say, here's what I want. I have everything organized. So they're not paying the attorney $200 an hour to go through paperwork or whatever. So it's getting paperwork organized. It's thinking about end of life care, how do you have all your healthcare stuff together? Who's your health care proxy? You know, where are we going to store all these important papers? And we have to let people know that, what do you want to do with your digital afterlife? Do you want to can your Facebook page? Or do you want to continue? Do you want to do something cool and send messages after you've died to people that you can set up? So it's thinking about all those things that you want to do?

Kathi Burns  5:50  
Wow yeah, you know, there's so many missing so many moving pieces, and so many pieces that people don't consider just like, you know, Facebook messages after life. And I've seen that, and it's hugely impactful when it's done properly. And what amazing work you do? Oh, wow. You know, like I say, there's so many moving pieces, there's a lot to consider, and thank goodness that we have people like you who are in and you know, our profession in general, can help people with that. So it's really good. So I really want to touch on that. I think that's super important right now. But let's pop back into entrepreneurialship. So what do you feel is the biggest obstacle that you encountered when you started your new life profession? Right, as an organizer? What type of obstacle did you have to overcome as an entrepreneur?

Julie Corracio  6:42  
I think for me, one of the biggest and this might sound counterintuitive, but was saying no, because I think it is so important to say no one, you know, that you can work on your business 24/7. Well, in order to be amazing for your clients, you have to be your best possible self. And if you are constantly scattered, you're constantly doing things, you have to learn to be able to say no. And something else that I knew right from the beginning, I'll never forget, I had just started my business. And someone said, hey, I want you to drive down to Fayetteville, which is about 90 minutes from where I was living in Raleigh. And you know, I want you to do all this work, but they can't really afford you. They can pay you this amount of money. Well, when you look at my time, and I said no. And I had just started out I didn't have a lot of business, but setting that boundary, because I believe you know, you're not just setting the physical and emotional boundary, you're setting the energetic boundary saying I have, I believe in myself I have worth and I'm going to say no. And I'm going to let everyone else know that. So saying no, is a huge thing. You can't go to every networking event, you can't be everything to every client. So saying no is really important.

Kathi Burns  7:54  
I totally agree with that. And I found that out early in a career when I had a publishing a design agency, that you know, saying no, is really the biggest sign of professionalism that you can do for yourself and for your clients. You know, the ability to say no, with with grace, and without stress, and knowing that it's all going to be fine. You're a much better business person, and you're much better able to help your clients. I love that. So saying no, is a huge, huge thing. So that would be what would you say would be an obstacle? So you overcame that you learned how to say no, but did you have any kind of things that were like the hiccups when you first started that you had to figure out as an entrepreneur?

Julie Corracio  8:39  
Hmm, I'm trying to think well, I don't know if I'd consider this a hiccup. But there are where I lived at the time, there were a lot of professional organizers, you know, almost you could throw a stone and hit someone. So what I also this was this ties into this, I believe, is that I had to figure out what's my niche? Who is it I'm going to serve. And rarely early on, I was the first professional organizer in the state of North Carolina to focus on sustainable organizing. And people said to me, you're gonna be dead in the water, you have made a huge mistake. You are not, you know, just get out now bow out gracefully. And I thought, well, one, it's who I am, and I can't change who I am. I've never force anyone to be sustainable. But if I'm green, I'm always going to share that and instead of tanking, I found success. So I think that that was Does that answer your little question a little more?

Kathi Burns  9:29  
Yeah, absolutely. You know, finding a niche is so important. And I think as professional organizers, we all start kind of general. And as soon as we can niche down the better because we our own avatar, I'm sure that your clients are like you. My clients are like me, you know, we are our own beacon in the darkness, right? So we shine our light and those that that need what we have will have it but if you're not specific about who you are, the beacons not there. It's just like a You know, white light, right? It doesn't help at all, like you say, you know, there's a lot of professional organizers. I love the fact that there's a lot of professional organizers and I love interviewing other organizers like you. Because, you know, there's so much business out there. And there's so many people that need specific things from us specifically, you know, for sure. So, so I totally, I commend you for that. It you know, it takes a while to figure out when I first started, I was a professional organizer, and image consultant, and I still am. And at the beginning, there was no one else who did image. And for me, it made total sense, because I'm in their closet. And I'm not just saying, Have you not worn it for a year, I'm like, why are you not wearing this, or you shouldn't be wearing this. And for me, it made sense. Now, you know, I'm one of the old timers in the industry. Now, there's a lot of new artistic creative organizers coming on the scene who are also image consultants, and they get it because it totally work. So I need shout as well. And then also as being a serial entrepreneur for 30 years, you know, helping other entrepreneurs. So what do you think would be another piece of advice that you would give to, to entrepreneurs that are trying to stay organized and keep their business together? Do you have any, any quick tips that you'd like to provide to the listeners?

Julie Corracio  11:17  
I would say get a handle on email? I think that's so important. And so a tip is to think of it as processing. Instead of answering, oh, I've got to answer email. But if you say, Huh, I've got a process email. So my to do something, am I going to delete it? Am I going to delegate it or did something you know, okay, I need to respond and think more thoroughly, and respond later. So think emails important, I believe also, responding to everyone, even if it's not a right client for you, then say, hey, you know what, I'm not a good fit for you. But having a good referral system may say, hey, you know, talk to Kathy, she's an image consultant, she's someone, I can help you clean your closet, but she can take you a step further, and say, you might not be wearing it, because it doesn't look good. So I think it's always important to have good referral partners. And then again, know that you can't be everything to everyone. Find out, you know, who you like to work with what your skills are. And don't worry about that what you put out, you get back in life. So if you're always referring people that'll come back to you, if you're honest, and you don't waste their time or yours, that is a good thing for you. It's not a bad thing.

Kathi Burns  12:28  
I love that I think it having a good referral network to just makes you more professional. And it allows you to allows you to let go of that potential business that you shouldn't be doing anyhow, because you know, it'll come right back around again, I'm, you know, we're on the same page girlfriends. I love that. Okay, so you have something you could give our readers, what is it that you're going to offer this valuable free product that they can grab? And I'll put the link down below, by the way.

Julie Corracio  12:57  
Perfect, thank you. So they've go to reawaken your brilliance.com, I have a free self assessment, I'm going to ask you 10 questions, and you can cover your clutter priority if you're like, I feel kind of clutter, but I don't know where to start. And so we've got 10 questions for you. And depending on what your priority is, I give you a quick action tip. So bam, you do the assessment, you can get started on decluttering your life.

Kathi Burns  13:20  
Yep. Because you know what the most important thing is to just start that's what I always say, it doesn't matter where you started, just start somewhere. So take take the questionnaire and that might help you get a quote and get get kick started into your projects. So as we end up this interview, anything that I wanted to ask you, Julie, here's what's the one thing that I should have asked you that I did not ask you?

Julie Corracio  13:44  
I guess I'd probably say what's your best piece of advice for life, because you know, we can't separate our professional personal. So I'd like to say to everyone listening and watching to remember that you are good enough. You are worthy, and you are loved no matter what. Because if you feel worthy, then you're going to shine your light. Even if someone wants you to dim it. If you're loved, then you don't have to feel like you're competing with someone and go out and buy a bunch of thing. So it's important to remember that and that we need you to share your gifts now with the world more now than any other time and in my view.

Kathi Burns  14:19  
Absolutely. And we all have our own unique gifts. And I truly believe that putting it out there and shining your light, you're a beacon for those who need what you have. And even if you don't feel that you have something unique. You do, there's something very unique that you can offer. And it's just a matter of finding out what that is and doing what I think the way to find out what it is and tell me if you think this is right Julius experimenting, like do something and see how it feels. Does that feel like really exciting to you? And really cool. If it does that that could be the gift that you have to offer. Do you agree with that?

Julie Corracio  14:59  
1,000% I mean, you want to wake up and be filled with joy, but oh yeah, I can work with clients today I'm going to get help them and have fun, you know, you want to be enjoy. I mean, how many of us are like, Monday morning, right? And here it comes around again. You know, life's short embrace it, you have to do what you're meant to do. And everyone listening has a skill. Everyone listening has a talent, you know, so we sometimes get these messages that maybe our parents or our friends or family or society told us you can't do that. No. You know, like you said, it's, it's there's no mistakes. It's about learning lesson. Try something. Yeah, I thought it'd be fun. Not really. And then you course correct and you try something else. It's about being in joy.

Kathi Burns  15:43  
Yes, being in joy. We are so synchronistic I am just so enjoying this interview. You know, we think alike. And I think, you know, our profession, in general, are a bunch of optimist. And we're a bunch of people that grab the opportunity to do what we really love. Because there's so many other things that we can do in life, but helping people release the stuff that's holding them back. Really, that's my juice, you know, people think I'm disorganizing their stuff or whatever. It's really allowing them to be more free, so that they can find their purpose so that they can live in joy. And you know, I always say we're kind of sneaky like that, aren't we as professional organizers?

Julie Corracio  16:22  
It's true. It's true. It's there's a bigger purpose.

Kathi Burns  16:25  
Yeah, absolutely. Well, you know what, this has been a delight. I'm so appreciative of your your time, everybody, grab the resource down below and have a stellar week. And thank you so much, Julie, for being a guest. I really appreciate it.

Julie Corracio  16:40  
Thanks so much for having me, Kathy.

Kathi Burns  16:42  
Absolutely.

Hey, thanks for listening to this podcast. I hope you enjoyed this episode. And if you want to hear more, feel free to subscribe on the platform of your choice. Also, if you feel so inclined, I would truly appreciate a good rating from you, to me have a stellar day.